


Those Who Live by the Sword

by matsukawas



Category: Twisted-Wonderland (Video Game)
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Light Angst, M/M, Swordfighting
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-09
Updated: 2020-09-09
Packaged: 2021-03-06 18:40:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,137
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26363575
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/matsukawas/pseuds/matsukawas
Summary: Since they were young, Sebek was always challenging Silver to swordfighting duels. One day, Silver decides to put an end to it, before his secret will come to light.
Relationships: Silver/Sebek Zigvolt
Comments: 4
Kudos: 67





	Those Who Live by the Sword

**Author's Note:**

> The story has three parts - first part takes place before NRC, second part in NRC, and third part after NRC, so be warned if you don't like this kind of content!

**Part 1 – At Sword's Point**

Sebek put his quill down, letting his hands rest on his thighs. He smiled, satisfied with the letter he came up with. He had to finish this letter before the day ended, and though he had a rich vocabulary, strangely he found himself staring at a blank paper for longer than he liked, words refusing to surface. And even when he was finally done, it seemed to him as though it was taking ages upon ages for the ink to dry.

However the ink did dry eventually, and Sebek couldn't afford to waste any more time. He leaped from his chair, folded the letter carefully and neatly, and lastly sealed it with wax, using the Zigvolt family seal. It wasn't a formal letter, but as a future servant of Malleus Draconia, the next king of the Valley of Thorns and his Master, he had to get used to such administrative matters. He was in fact staying in one of the Draconia family facilities this very moment. He, and the addressee of this letter.

Sebek left his room and made his way to the training grounds nearby. This whole area, stretched on kilometers to every direction, served as his and Silver's training facility for the past few years. Lilia has trained them strictly there, and even the Young Master himself came to watch their progress on a nearly daily basis, gracing them with his presence.

The time the four of them spent together was the happiest in Sebek's life. But that too eventually came to an end, when Lilia and Malleus left for Night Raven College. The training place seemed to Sebek very empty and gloomy with the two of them gone. But both he and Silver found a new goal to focus their entire being on – getting accepted to Night Raven College, and for that, they simply had to keep on training. And that was all they ever did in the past year, from dusk till dawn, together or each to their own. And tomorrow, Silver would follow their teachers' steps, and wait for the carriage to take him away, leaving Sebek behind, all alone.

Sebek's fist closed forcefully around the letter he was holding, unconsciously wrinkling it. He heard the paper crushing in his hand and immediately relaxed his fist, taking a deep breath. When he got a hold on himself, he scanned the training grounds, but it was empty, with no sign that someone has used it. Sebek sighed and looked around, until his eyes landed on a group of trees that formed a tiny wood. Something told him that was the place he was looking for.

He didn't have to walk too deep into the forest – he found what he was looking for almost right away. Silver was lying on the leaf-covered ground of the forest, looking as though he just collapsed at a completely random spot, his sword still in his hand. He has probably suffered from another episode of uncontrollable sleepiness. Sebek frowned and approached the sleeping youth.

"Hey Silver! Wake up!" Sebek yelled, kicking Silver's legs lightly. Silver made a troubled face and moved, but only to change his sleeping position, rolling to the other side. Sebek felt his patience draining away.

"Don't sleep!!!" Sebek raised his voice even further.

Silver opened one eye and peeked at the boy that towered above him, "Sebek… I'm not sleeping, not a chance with you screaming like that."

"Perfect. Get up then!"

Silver didn't argue. He stretched his body a little and then stood on his legs, sheathing his sword. Sebek didn't waste a moment. He held out the letter, waiting for Silver to take it. It didn't look so fancy anymore, after spending some time in Sebek's big hand, but it should do.

Silver looked at the letter, then at Sebek, then at the letter again, a very confused look on his face. "What's that? Is everything alright?"

"Just take it!" Sebek said stubbornly.

Silver still looked highly hesitant, but he took the letter anyway. He broke the seal and read the letter. But there wasn't much to read. Simply looking at the huge letters at the top of the paper was enough. There were three words, written in Sebek's colossal but surprisingly neat handwriting – "Letter of Challenge".

Silver looked at Sebek's tiredly. This time, it wasn't another case of his usual sleepiness. It was tiredness on all levels of existence, one that only Sebek's very presence could cause. His stubbornness was inhuman, something to admire, really, and Silver found himself impressed every single time. But when the main object of that stubbornness was Silver himself, it could get very exhausting.

Every once in a while, Sebek challenged Silver to a sword-fighting duel. When they were children, Silver thought it was nice – sword-fighting has always been his specialty, and Sebek wasn't quite bad himself, so it made for a good training session against an almost-equally strong opponent. Obviously, Silver won, and won, and won, he won every single time, and yet... Sebek kept appearing before him, asking for a challenge again and again. And that… that threatened to drive Silver insane. And it was irrational on top of that. The cool-headed Silver couldn't comprehend why Sebek kept coming back, just to be defeated over and over again. Silver just couldn't find a logical explanation for that.

There was no way Sebek could win against Silver in a sword fight. And yet, there he was, standing before Silver, that smug grin on his face. Silver found that grin to be extremely cute, but almost instinctively he pushed the thought away. He had to put an end to it.

"Well, do you accept?" Sebek folded his hands on his chest.

"Sebek, I-"

"This is going to be our 99th duel!"

"Were you counting them?" Silver felt like his chest was about to burst.

"Naturally. This time I will be the one to triumph!"

"You sound confident for someone who lost all the previous 98 times."

"S-Shut up! Just accept the challenge."

"Sorry, I don't have time for that." Silver said carefully, "I'll be leaving tomorrow. The carriage might even come as soon as midnight-"

"That’s why you have to accept it!" Sebek insisted. Silver felt terrible, the desperation in Sebek's voice and eyes crushing his heart, but he had no choice. The upcoming year was the perfect chance to put some distance between the two of them. That included the duels, but there were also… _other_ things, that Silver preferred to bury deep inside. And the sooner he started, the better.

"I can't." Silver concluded, leaving no place for Sebek to argue. He shoved the letter into Sebek's chest and walked past him, refusing to meet his eyes.

Sebek didn’t expect to get a negative answer, and for a while he stood in his place, frozen with shock. He looked at the letter briefly and then ripped it to tiny pieces, leaving them to be carried away by the wind.

**Part 2 - Cross Swords**

When Sebek has finally enrolled in Night Raven College one year later, Silver was untypically nervous to meet him. They haven't seen each other in a whole year, and he couldn't forget their not-so-friendly farewell – which was entirely Silver's fault, but it was a price he was willing to pay.

Surprisingly enough, Sebek was acting completely normal. He was his usual loud, Malleus-loving self, and he even still tried to compete with Silver on any possible occasion. Whether it was their flying abilities or their marks in tests – even though they were in completely different grades – Sebek was always trying to surpass Silver. And it was too normal, as though nothing has changed between them, so much that Silver almost suspected that maybe he was sleeping, and it was all just a dream.

However it wasn't a dream, and Silver knew that because there was one big difference – Sebek has never mentioned sword fighting again. He never offered to join Silver's sword fighting training, though Silver knew Sebek was still training his sword techniques independently. It seemed like Sebek was trying to avoid anything that involved both swords and Silver at the same time. And Silver had to admit he felt relief.

Of course, Sebek was still challenging Silver to other things as enthusiastically as ever. But none of them compared to the intensity he showed when sword fighting, causing Silver's emotions to turn just as intense in return. There was something about the way Sebek stood before him with a sword in his hand, like a mirror image of Silver himself. That big, clumsy-looking body that moved so gracefully, as though every movement was crafted by an artist's hands. The way he swung his sword, every swing so fierce and blunt and packed with sheer determination. The green eyes with slit pupils that pierced him, making Silver feel as though he was naked, and that Sebek might _see_ the thing Silver tried so desperately to hide.

Silver couldn't say he didn't miss their little duels. It was the closest thing he had to something intimate with Sebek. But he definitely didn't miss the feeling of becoming transparent in front of the younger youth, the feeling of being exposed. He was scared, and the fear silenced him. Sebek saw him as nothing more than a rival anyway, and honestly, he didn't care if it stayed that way.

Silver had every intention of taking all his intrusive thoughts about Sebek along with him to the grave.

*****

"Why can’t I win against Silver?"

Sebek said out of the blue, making the other four first years look at him worriedly. They then looked at each other, trying to urge one of them to take matters to his hands and talk to the tall boy, before things get out of control. And when it came to Sebek, things could get out of control very quickly, and it was never pretty. Sebek was an unpredictable fellow, to say the least.

"Did something happen between you two?" Epel asked carefully, and you could clearly hear the others sighing in relief.

Sebek thought about it for a moment. Something _did_ happen between them, more than a year ago, but looked like he was the only one tormented by it. Silver never mentioned what happened that day, and Sebek was grateful for that actually. However, he did spend that one year all alone in that training facility, training until his clothes were drenched with sweat and his hands filled with blisters. So obviously, he wanted to test how strong he has become, and there was no better opponent than Silver.

Sebek wouldn't admit he was happy when Silver accepted his mostly one-sided challenges after their reunion, but he definitely was happy, and relieved too. And yet, he was still losing. Defeat wasn't something that could break Sebek so easily, but it never was a nice feeling, especially not when the one he was constantly losing to was Silver. He couldn’t stand the thought that he was losing to a human.

"You're training more than anyone else, I know 'cause I've been training with you." Jack said, clenching his fist, "So you'll definitely be able to take him down eventually!"

"Man, you're obsessed with that silver-haired upperclassman." Ace laughed, "Why are you training so hard just to defeat him?"

Sebek jumped on his legs, and everyone looked at Ace in a way that meant 'look what you have done', "I'm not training to defeat him!!! I'm training in order to serve the Young Master!"

"But Ace has a point," Deuce started, while Jack pulled Sebek back down to the grass. They were sitting on the grass of the school backyard, which sort of became their secret meeting spot. "All you ever do is talk about him."

Sebek frowned. Was he really talking about Silver that much? That couldn't possibly be true. But the more he thought about it, the more he realized that Silver has been occupying his thoughts for way more than he liked. It was like that back in the Valley of Thorns, and it got worse since he enrolled in Night Raven College. And the worst thing was, that somehow he felt that getting a higher test score than Silver wouldn’t satisfy his hunger, wouldn't achieve what he _truly_ wanted.

"I want to defeat Silver in a swordfight." Sebek said almost absentmindedly, as though he was talking to himself.

Jack looked confused, "I never saw you challenging him to a swordfight though."

"I did when we were younger. However I was always on the receiving end. I lost every battle. 98 times to be precise."

"Ouch." Ace said, and Deuce elbowed his side.

"Then why did you stop?" Epel sounded curious, "You're not the type to give up so easily, right, Sebek?"

"Well…" Sebek started, but didn't know what to say. Silver denied him once, and Sebek just… didn’t want to go through it again. He was scared of being turned down. Scared of being hated by Silver. At first, it sounded absurd, but the more he thought about it, the more he had no choice but to admit it was true. That coldness in Silver's voice when he refused to accept the challenge one year ago was something Sebek could never forget.

On the other hand, Silver was acting almost normally now, and he did accept - though not very eagerly -Sebek's varied challenges. So maybe, maybe there was a slight chance that he would accept his challenge for a swordfight this time. Sebek still didn't understand why Silver so passionately declined his challenge one year ago. It was time he found out.

Sebek stood on his legs again, and the first years looked at him hesitantly, wondering what was coming this time.

"I'm going to challenge Silver to a swordfight!" he declared.

"Yeah, you do that." Ace said.

"You can do it!" Jack cheered.

Sebek left like a storm. He didn't even consider that the thing he was about to do might shatter the fragile relationship he and Silver shared. At that moment, settling things with Silver once and for all was the only thing on his mind.

*****

Sebek knew exactly where to find Silver. At this afternoon hour, Silver was usually immersed in his sword training, which was perfect for Sebek. He would go straight to Silver and challenge him to a duel, no letters or manners this time. Sebek stopped by his room to grab his own personal training sword, which since recently has been tucked deep inside the closet, hidden from everyone, but especially from himself. He assumed that unconsciously, he wanted to forget about it. But he couldn't. He looked at the sword almost fondly, recalling how years ago they used to duel using identical, but tinier versions of this sword.

Back then, Silver used to beat him to a pulp effortlessly. Sebek has always thought that being left-handed, he had an advantage, but seemed like it didn't even matter to Silver. It was as though Silver was born to hold a sword, destined to it by some force greater than them. Which made Sebek even more eager to defeat him. That was why he trained tirelessly, taking note of every loss, until he could finally stand as Silver's equal, and could hold his ground against him. Yes, he did lose every one of their 98 duels, but it didn’t stop Sebek. It just delayed him a bit.

When Sebek appeared on the Diasomnia Dorm training grounds, Silver looked extremely unpleased, even more so when he noticed the sword in Sebek's hand. Even Sebek could tell Silver wasn't happy to see him there, as Silver didn’t really bother to hide it. That brought back bad memories, but Sebek was intent on making Silver speak his mind.

"What are you doing here?" Silver asked, visibly impatient.

Sebek lifted his sword and pointed it at Silver, "I challenge you to a duel!"

"You didn't write a letter this time?"

"What for? You won't read it anyway!"

Silver chuckled lightly, and Sebek felt something moving in his stomach. He realized that he hasn't heard the sound of Silver's laughter in a very long time.

"Well, you're too late. I'm done training for today, so try again tomorrow." Silver sheathed his sword and started to make his way out of the training grounds. Now it was Sebek's turn to grow impatient. He stood in front of Silver, blocking his way with his body like a living wall.

Silver gave Sebek a fierce glare, "Move. Both of us should get ready for our guard duty tonight."

"There is still time until then!" Sebek exclaimed, "We have time for one duel!"

Silver didn’t say anything, his eyes refusing to meet Sebek's, so Sebek tried to give one last push. He put his hands on Silver's shoulders, "If you accept my challenge now, I will never bother you again." Silver reluctantly lifted his head and looked at Sebek. Sebek could tell Silver was highly hesitant and cautious for some reason, so he added, "I promise."

Silver narrowed his eyes at Sebek, and finally let out a sigh, "Fine. Let's get this done with."

Silver unsheathed his sword once again, and Sebek had the biggest grin on his face. Now that he promised to make this their final duel, he had no choice but to win. But what if he lost? He shook his head. There was no point in thinking about it. He would win, his honor as the Young Master's servant depended on it. And if he lost… well, he would cross that bridge when he comes to it.

*****

They both took fighting stances and faced each other, their swords in their hands. They were perfect mirror images of one another, and Silver's heart raced in his chest. He blamed it on the adrenaline, but he knew there were other factors involved. Looking at Sebek's sword in his left hand, Silver felt almost nostalgic. He loved to battle Sebek precisely because of that – it wasn't every day that you got to fight against a left-handed opponent, and it indeed posed a challenge. With Sebek, no duel was like the other. 98 duels - with the 99th one just about to take place - all of them different and unique, as though Sebek was reinventing himself every time. And Silver missed it so much it physically hurt. But it all had to end today.

Sebek raised his sword and struck, but Silver blocked it with his blade. It was a heavy blow though, and Silver felt the impact moving through his body like a wave, all the way down to his feet. Before he could react Sebek raised his sword again, and landed another blow, and then another, his sword landing repetitively on Silver's as though it was rain.

For a while, Silver couldn’t do anything but being on the defensive, receiving Sebek's strikes. But he had to do something soon – even he couldn't stand this long under this rain of sword hits. Sebek definitely grew stronger in this past year (though he was always physically strong), but Silver could still read him like an open book. He waited for the right opportunity, and managed to fend off one of Sebek's strikes.

Sebek was surprised, and froze for a moment. This moment was enough to give Silver his chance for a counterattack. With one powerful swing, he hit Sebek's sword, causing it to fly out of his hand, pushing him backward. The swing was so powerful that Sebek lost balance and fell, his back hitting the ground. Silver stood above Sebek. For a moment, the the realization that this was the end passed in his head, making him almost mournful. But it was all for the best. He leaned down and stabbed the ground with his training sword, inches from Sebek's head, silently announcing his win. However at this point, Sebek's blows took their toll on Silver, and his legs gave in. His knees landed on the ground, one knee at each side of Sebek's body, placing the taller boy between Silver's spread legs.

For a few moments, it was as though time has stood still. They were both breathing heavily, and Silver was sweating so much that a few drops of sweat fell on Sebek's chin, slowly sliding down to his neck. They could hear each other's breaths and heartbeats, and realized they were completely in sync, following the same rhythm.

Silver knew he had to get up of this dangerous position quickly – the sight of Sebek lying there underneath him, drenched in sweat, was threatening to make his body act up – but he stopped when he looked at Sebek's face. He looked so frustrated, as though it was no less than the end of the world. Silver didn't know if the reason for Sebek's frustration was because he lost, or because this was their final duel. But he knew one thing – both reasons were way too adorable, and he couldn't control himself anymore.

He started to close the physical distance between them. It seemed to Silver as though it was taking centuries – and as a human, he didn’t have so much time to spare – but it took mere seconds. And when they passed, his lips were pressed against Sebek's. His hair, which was wet with sweat, fell on Sebek's face.

Sebek was completely still. Silver thought it must have been a total shock for him. But with this, he would finally understand why they had to put an end to this little game.

"That's why I didn't want to accept your duel. These are my real feelings." Silver said slowly, making sure his voice wasn't betraying him, "I didn't plan on telling you, but now that you know, keep your promise and don't approach me anymore."

Silver stood up, his legs as heavy as lead, "Goodbye, Sebek."

He turned to walk away, but Sebek grabbed his hand. Sebek rose from his place on the earth, still holding Silver's hand.

"I accept your feelings."

Silver was too confused he might've forgotten how to breathe for a moment, "Come again?"

"I accept your feelings!!" Sebek repeated, now much louder, making Silver flinch.

"Do you even have an idea what that means?" Silver asked, and pulled his hand away, maybe a little bit more forcefully than he meant too. But Sebek didn't need to answer – one look at his red cheeks was enough for Silver to know that yes, Sebek understood. Of course he did, Silver has just literally kissed him.

Silver laughed, "This is ridiculous. I've been trying to hide it for _years_."

"Why did you hide it?" Sebek shook his head and sighed, "This is why humans are so foolish."

"Well, not everyone is as stupidly as honest as you." Sebek scowled at this remark, but Silver continued, "At some point, I realized I would rather keep my distance from you than having you finding out about it."

 _But why?_ , Silver found himself asking suddenly. Was it because Sebek was merely his fellow pupil and rival? Was it because such a relationship would hurt their efficiency as Malleus' guards? Was he simply scared to be rejected? Silver felt as though the answer to those questions was yes and no at the same time.

"I can never understand what you humans think. Just… throw away your petty human thoughts. And never try to distance yourself from me again!!!"

"Oh, are you sure?" Silver asked, teasing, "I might try to kiss you again you know?"

Sebek's voice was a bit squeaky when he yelled, "And I might allow it!", his face burning with red.

**Part 3 – Swords into Ploughshares**

Sebek walked into the woods, the same woods where he and Silver had their sore goodbye a few years earlier. Silver waited for him there. This time, they were about to reunite. They haven't seen each other in more than a year, ever since Silver graduated Night Raven College and returned to the Valley of Thorns, and Sebek stayed to complete his fourth school year. And Sebek almost hated how much he longed to see the silver-haired boy.

Silver stood under the autumn trees of the forest, in the exact same spot Sebek found him sleeping all those years ago. That day used to be something a bit traumatic for Sebek, but time healed all wounds, and now it was just another fond memory, one that eventually led to them realizing their feelings for each other.

Sebek stopped a few meters away from Silver. When Silver noticed him, he could hardly hide his smile.

"Congratulations on your knighthood, Sebek."

"Obviously. Did you doubt my ability to be knighted?"

"I didn’t doubt for a second." Silver breathed and approached Sebek so quickly Sebek didn’t have time to react. The eager, yearning look in Silver's eyes was so intense the air got stuck in Sebek's lungs, and he forgot how to breathe.

Silver wrapped his arms around Sebek's neck and kissed him longingly, as though he was trying to make up for all the time they haven’t seen each other, hasn't felt each other. Sebek was surprised by the sudden show of affection that he didn’t quite know what to do with his hands. Their lips were pressed together for a while, teeth and tongues bumping against each other in a storm of emotions, and Sebek finally placed his hands on Silver's cheeks, caressing them. They were cold – he must have been standing outside for a while – and Sebek squeezed them in his big hands.

When their lips parted, they were both out of breath, but Sebek felt like he didn’t have enough at all. However there was no need for him to be so restless anymore – now that he officially was a knight of the king's guard, along with Silver, they had plenty of time to spend together.

"Did you get your first mission already?" Silver asked. Both of them were calmer now after the kiss.

Sebek's face beamed, "Indeed!" he put his hand on his chest, looking very proud of himself, "In two days I will escort the Young Master to the Humans Kingdom!"

"Good luck. Try not to bother Malleus too much with your overprotectiveness."

"I am _not_ overprotective!" Sebek raised his voice, "The Young Master appreciates the things I do for him!"

"That's because Malleus is kind, so he always lets you do as you please." Sebek was about to object, but Silver continued, "Like that one time you insisted to cook for him because you didn’t trust anyone else to make food that would suit his taste, but you ended up using sugar instead of salt."

"T-That was…"

"But Malleus still ate everything. Because he's kind. You know I'm right, don’t you?"

"Ugh…" Sebek didn’t like Silver's attitude, but he had to admit his words made sense. Thanks to Silver constantly scolding him, he came to be aware of how he sometimes went overboard, and as a result often caused an unnecessary mess. He absolutely didn't think he was being overprotective though.

Even after Sebek and Silver started seeing each other, they still often butted heads over their differing opinions. Silver thought Sebek was doing too much for Malleus, and Sebek thought Silver was doing too little. One day, Silver confessed that one of the reasons he didn't want Sebek to know about his attraction to him was because he was convinced it would hurt their reliability as Malleus' knights in the inevitable future.

But Silver was proven wrong. No matter what came of their relationship, they would always be rivals. The rivalry was inherent in them, and it pushed both of them to greater heights. For Sebek, Silver was the only one who could make him so passionate – about training, about studying, about loving – and he knew for a fact that it was the same the other way around too. He couldn't deny that this relationship made him work extra hard for his goal of becoming a knight of the Valley of Thorns. Of course, his primary motivation was becoming the best servant for the Young Master. But being able to do that alongside Silver, as his equal… nothing was more fulfilling than that.

An idea hit Sebek. He touched the hilt of his sword, hanging on his right hip. He looked at Silver, who stood in front of him, wearing the same knight uniform, the same sword hanging from the left side of his body. Silver's hand moved to touch his sword too, and Sebek suspected Silver could read his thoughts.

"Silver! I-"

"You want to challenge me to a duel, right?" Silver completed the sentence, smiling.

"I see your brain hasn't grown rusty. I hope the same can be said for your arm too!"

"Want to find out?" Silver provoked the taller boy.

"I _need_ to find out! The guards of the Young Master cannot be caught slacking!" Sebek grunted, and then added, "By the way, this is-"

"This is going to be our 100th duel."

Sebek was dumbfounded for a moment, "You… you remembered."

Silver grinned. He stole a quick kiss from Sebek's lips and stepped away, getting ready for the duel. Sebek touched his lips with his fingers, his skin burning red all the way to the tip of his ears. Silver was playing dirty!

"You know, Sebek," Silver said suddenly, kicking some dead leaves that lied on the ground with his boots, "in the old legend about the sleeping princess, it says she was sleeping for a hundred years. And this is our hundredth duel."

"And your point is?" Sebek asked, visibly confused, his fingers still dwelling on his slightly wet lips.

"Well, a hundred years is a long time. And we had this many duels."

"Of course a hundred years is a long time! A human like yourself couldn't possibly comprehend such a number. Only the great fairies are capable of that!" Sebek claimed, but he sounded a bit dejected when he said, "You and I will never understand."

"But this is my point. I think we're getting closer to understand." Silver said thoughtfully, catching Sebek off guard. Silver never failed to surprise him with his sudden wittiness, or shall he say strangeness. Sebek might have been the smarter one – or so he liked to think – but Silver had this street smartness that amazed Sebek every single time, and made him reconsider all he knew about the world

He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, trying to calm his racing heart. He then opened them, and pure determination reflected in his green eyes as they landed on Silver. Silver's eyes showed identical resolve. When their eyes locked on each other, they knew they were synced.

They drew their swords simultaneously. And their hundredth duel began.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading!!  
> My Twitter where I scream daily about Sebek and Silbek: @k0itsuki


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